Is it me, the lens, or lack of PS skill...

Just to throw it in there, http://www.opanda.com/​en/iexif/ is a nice exif plugin that works with both IE and firefox (with an additional extension for FF, its simple enough to install). I know I got bored of downloading images to then check exif info, I love this plugin.

Also to the OP, the book mentioned seems to be one of the best for layman reading. It helped me relearn all that stuff Id forgotten from h.s. photography classes in a few days. For the price, great read.

hehe just found it thanks to a quick google search, thanks for the advice though.

ohh yea, now a real contribution to the thread. also keep in mind, even if you are using a tripod, 1/25th of a second wont work well because, if the bird moves at all, no matter how still the camera is, theres still going to be blur.

One thing no one has mentioned so far is that stopping the lens down so far will cause a serious lack of sharpness in itself!
This lens is at it's sharpest at f11-13 or thereabouts

As for cleaning the sensor,it's something you should get used to as all DSLR's need it sooner or later.It's nowhere near as scary as it at first sounds and is quite easy to do(it's actually a glass filter in front of the sensor you will be cleaning)
Do a search on sensor cleaning on this site for heaps of info.
Also look up this website - http://www.cleaningdig​italcameras.com/

Yeah. Wild, isn't it? I don't remember why I first tried this trick but I did, it works, so I go with it! Never seen it listed anywhere else either.

Someone (me) did!

I oredered the books: Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera, and Magic Lanterns Guide to the Rebel. I also DL'd Infraview, with the plug-ins for looking at the EXIF's . WOW thats nice. Now I can look at what others where using for settings, and gain knowledge from this. ME LIKEY A LOT!!! .

oops jon, yes

I'm still learning the in's and out's of my XT and I ahven't completely read the manual yet, but, does the XT not have a "mirror lock up" feature?

I know this one.... it does have one. Set the 350D in M, and then go to the menu. then scroll to the left to the last tool settings. Under custom functions youll find it.